Focus session for practising an instrument: 25 minutes, distant traffic, if you are sceptical about all of this

1 Before you start

• Write down the one thing you are going to do, in a single sentence, before you start.
• Lower the bar until starting feels almost silly, then start.
• Set the timer where you can see it, or where you can deliberately not see it.
• Decide in advance that a bad sentence is still progress.
• Clear the surface in front of you down to the thing you are working on.

2 While the timer runs

• It is fine to stare at the wall for a minute. That is often where the answer is.
• If the task suddenly feels impossible, make it smaller rather than stopping. One paragraph. One function. One row.
• Notice the moment your hand moves toward your phone. That moment is the whole skill.
• The first urge to stop usually arrives early. Sit through it once and the second one is quieter.

3 When it ends

• Note what you actually got done, not what you meant to get done.
• Have a drink of water before you check anything.
• Leave the desk tidier than you found it. Two minutes now saves ten later.

4What to put on

distant traffic — A low continuous wash from a road you are not on. Familiar and easy to stop hearing.